Staff photo by Michelle CaffreyWashington Township High School senior Laura Lanzelotti holds gauze to her arm after donating a pint of blood to the American Red Cross.

By Andy Polhamus

nj.com/south

When it comes to blood donations, the numbers may vary but the need is always present.

Department of Health and Senior Services Commissioner Mary O’Dowd recently announced a summer campaign to combat the dropoff in blood donations that occurs in the state every summer. By encouraging employers to hold blood drives in the workplace, O’Dowd, along with the New Jersey Workplace Blood Donor Coalition, hopes to replenish waning blood supplies in the summer months.

According to members of the coalition, the first step in boosting donations is education.

“Employers have a unique opportunity to address these issues,” O’Dowd said in a conference call. By hosting on-site workplace blood drives and communicating directly with their employees, she said, employers and business owners can do their part to boost donations.

According to O’Dowd, the top three explanations non-donors give for not donating blood are that they are unaware of the need for blood, have never been asked to donate or that it is too inconvenient to donate.

“We feel that by educating employers about the need, we can encourage them to reach out to their employees,” said Melanie Willoughby, a coalition member and senior vice president of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.

The New Jersey Workplace Blood Donor Coalition was formed in 2008 by the Department of Health and Senior Services in conjunction with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. The group boasts 15 representatives from major business, health and educational institutions from all over the state, including the New Jersey Hospital Association, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Rutgers University.

The shortage of blood that occurs every summer is particularly bad in the Garden State, where donation levels are significantly lower than the national average. While only 5 percent of eligible donors regularly give blood nationwide, that number is just 3.6 percent in New Jersey.

Blood banks rely heavily on high schools and colleges. When those institutions close for the summer, getting blood donations becomes even more difficult. The problem, according to Red Cross Communications Manager Anthony Tornetta, has more to do with participants than resources.

“We have the ability to collect the needed amount of blood, but we don’t have the turnout,” Tornetta said.

“Before you take that long weekend, we’re just asking people for an hour of your time, and to know that you’re really making a difference in someone’s life.”

With so few regular donors, New Jersey is one of the nation’s largest importers of blood. In 2011, New Jersey received 111,000 units of blood from other states — more than double the number of units imported in 2010.

A single unit is equal to about one pint of blood.

Anyone interested in donating blood can learn more by visiting arcgloucesterco.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS. Donors can give blood as often as every 56 days. All blood types are needed, although Type O is the most common.

The next Red Cross blood drive in Gloucester County will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, at the Free Public Library of Monroe Township.